For Better or For Worse
by SilentLikeAShadow
Summary: A series of cute scenes and fights during House & Stacy's relationship. Please read and review, it'd be much appreciated! Lyrics from multiple artists and songs used. Mostly fluff.
1. July, Swimming

**There's going to be a lot more cute moments than fights, most likely. The song lyrics below are from Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen. As usual, I own nothing.**

Stacy groaned and continued to stare at the ceiling. It was only the beginning of July, yet New Jersey and most of the Northeastern states were caught in a sweltering heat wave. She felt sweat trickle down the side of her face, and she was just too hot to move. She was lying on the bed, and the comforter felt sticky underneath her no matter how she shifted.

In the kitchen, House, just as sticky and sweaty, downed a glass of water in a few gulps. Stacy strained to hear him, knowing his unusual way of savouring the coldness in the drink. She heard him shuffle lazily around the kitchen, but then a fly near her ear caught her attention and she swatted it away. She looked down the hall, but then rolled her head back to lie on the mattress, her body sprawling all over the bed in a vain attempt to keep cool in the humidity.

After a few minutes, her annoyance at the temperature forced her to get up and drag herself to the kitchen, where she leaned against the door frame. House hadn't yet seen her and continued bustling around the kitchen, on edge and irritated. Stacy watched him, a smile playing on her lips. Just as he downed another glass of cold, soothing water, he noticed her.

"Let's go swimming," Stacy said. House seemed keen, and then put on a mock disappointed face.

"Too bad I have work at the hospital," he said, trying to brush by her. Stacy caught his arm and turned him around.

"No, you don't. Today's your day off."

"I need clinic hours."

Stacy felt slightly annoyed, but pressed on. "You just want to keep cool. And since you're too stubborn to bother buying air conditioning or even _a fan_, you actually want to go to the hospital."

House blinked. "That or… I just don't want to go swimming. Excuse my desire to not want to cool myself off in little children's urine."

She smirked. "I'll call Cuddy and tell her you're keen for those extra clinic hours. Oh, and while I'm at it, I'll make sure she knows just how much you love working during the summer. Maybe she'll take some of your vacation time off. And then you can spend all summer waiting on patients, your _absolute_ favourite thing to do."

House grunted, giving in. "Fine. But no one said I'll have to enjoy it." With a triumphant smile, Stacy turned and headed for the door, still dragging House by the arm.

"And I'm not going to any public pools!"

* * *

"I'm driving." Stacy said, crossing her arms. She stood by the driver side front door to her car.

House cocked his head. "Yeah, I don't think so." He tried to push by her, but Stacy held her ground.

"I'm twice your size, Stacy. Are you seriously thinking this is a fight you'll win?" He whispered into her ear, their faces inches away. Stacy went on her tippy toes and planted a kiss on his lips, which at first took him by surprise, but then he relaxed and kissed her back.

"Trust me," she breathed as they broke away, and Stacy leaned her head on his cheek briefly before pulling away. House studied her in silence for a few moments.

"Okay."

* * *

A little ways out of town, Stacy pulled onto a dirt road. House stared at the window, his curiosity growing as he watched the breeze ruffle the tree's leaves. He wondered vaguely where she could possibly be taking them, but he didn't linger too much on the thought; he trusted her.

The road twisted and turned, snaking its way deeper into the forest and away from civilisation. The car ride was fairly quiet, and House leaned forward to turn on the radio.

_Because baby, I'm just a scared and lonely rider  
But I got to find out how it feels  
I want to know if love is wild  
Girl, I want to know if love is real_

Satisfied with the Bruce Springsteen song, he sat back and studied Stacy. She was intensely concentrated when she drove, her mouth set in a fine, determined line. Her eyes studied the road in front of her with confidence and her gaze never drifted. House turned his attention back to outside.

_I'll love you with all the madness in my soul  
Someday girl I don't know when we're going to get to that place  
Where we really want to go and we'll walk in the sun  
But until then tramps like us, baby we were born to run_

Eventually the car came to some old rusty gates, and Stacy pulled over the car and parked it just beyond. She got out and House did as well, peering over at her, his eyebrows raised in a silent question.

"Well, it's not a public pool." Stacy said, meeting his eye and tossing him a towel.

"I'm actually quite terrified of what _it_ is."

"You'll just have to wait and see." She said, leading the way. House had no choice but to follow her. They came to a rise, and then House found himself looking into an abandoned quarry. It was filled with water, making a nice natural water hole. Stacy was putting her towel near the side, and carefully tested the water with her foot. House made his way over. She looked up, tilting her head and waiting for a reaction. He came close to her and opened his mouth in a sarcastic comment but before he had the chance to say anything, he quickly grabbed Stacy and fell sideways into the quarry with her.

She shrieked and then the water hit them both, sending a refreshing cold sensation over their skin. House lingered underwater, waiting a moment before surfacing. Stacy had a shocked expression on her face, her mouth open as she cleared her hair from her face. To him, it was priceless.

She saw his grin, and despite her annoyance, the corners of her mouth couldn't resist turning up into a smile.

"You're such a jerk," she said, splashing him. House ducked and swam sideways, trying his best to avoid her onslaught. Stacy pursued, chasing him around and hunting him down. When Stacy thought she had him cornered, House slipped under the water's surface. She lunged but he was already deep, too deep to see. She turned, treading water, and scanned the water for any sign of life. After a few minutes, he still hadn't appeared, and she fought down her worry. He was probably just messing with her.

Meanwhile, House, underwater, grabbed Stacy's ankles and pulled her down. She yelped but her head went under anyways. She drifted slowly down, until she was face to face with House. They lingered underwater for a few moments; both searching each other's eyes. The water was silent around them, and everything seemed to fade away until it was just them. House reached out and pulled her close, leaning his forehead on hers. Love and peace seemed to be around them for a moment, but eventually they needed to breathe.

House broke the surface first. He sucked in the sweet air, and looked around in the afternoon light just as Stacy appeared beside him. He grabbed her and twirled her around, holding her close as their foreheads touched, and then letting her drift away, their foreheads still touching as they both treaded water.

"Don't scare me like that!" She scolded, but ended up giggling. He didn't answer, his face serious, his blue eyes searching hers. Stacy leaned in first, and their lips met. A slow, long, drawn-out kiss followed. But they weren't done there. Need and longing started tugging at them both, and a series of rapid, urgent, violent kisses unfolded.

Stacy stopped to breathe, and her legs ached from treading water. She slowly made her way to the quarry's edge, pulling herself out. House followed her, sitting next to her in the late afternoon sun, his legs making circles in the water. Stacy sighed in content, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I love you." She whispered. It took a second, but eventually House spoke too.

"I love you, too."

**Thanks for reading, please review, and if you have any ideas or suggestions for cute and/or fight scenes, either PM me or post it in a review! **


	2. August, Ice cream

**This one's another cute. A rare time where House actually decided on the date, what's in store for Stacy? All the chapters are pre-show and before House became depressed. This way I can make House have a soft spot for Stacy, letting himself be vulnerable and all. I'll try my best to not make him nice all the time though, especially in the fight scenes. Which suggestions for would be much appreciated. I have tons of cute ideas, but only a few fights. :/ Most of the chapters will be in the same general format, because even though I don't mean to, it always ends up like that… Most chapters will have song lyrics in it. More often than not, the lyrics will be the way House expresses what he's actually thinking about and what he means to say, like I do in real life XD. It's the gateway to his soul and vulnerability… Or I might just be obsessed with the song, or it has no meaning. It's up for interpretation. ****Every Little Thing she does is Magic****, the Police. Still own nothing.**

Stacy leaned forward, her mind buzzing with sound. Her mind was racing, jumping from thought to thought, as she explored the contents of her next case. Her eyebrows were screwed up in a concentrated frown, and her hazel eyes refused to leave the documents in front of her.

House slipped into her office silently, observing her. His eyes passed over her delicate but confident movements as she quickly wrote some notes on a paper. He studied her face, her fine cheekbones, and her perfect eyebrows. His blue eyes silently drifted to her eyes, but she hadn't noticed him. She was so concentrated and absorbed in her work. It was one thing he loved about her – how she didn't give up easily, on any matter. She was one of the few women who actually could stand him and even reason with him.

In two quick steps he was looming over her. A shadow drifted over her papers, and Stacy looked up. Her heart skipped a beat when she came face to face with those familiar blue eyes.

"Come." He simply said, leaning forward on the desk. Stacy leaned back in her chair and raised an eyebrow.

"Last time we had sex in the office…" She trailed off, an amused look dancing in her eyes. House relented.

"The one time I'm not talking about sex," he said, "you actually want it. I'll keep that in mind for next time it _is_ what I meant."

She grinned, and House offered his hand. She accepted, and he pulled her up. He gave her a short gentle kiss before leading her towards the door. She stopped.

"I have work to do…" She murmured.

"It can wait." He replied. She looked him in the eyes and a devilish smile played on her lips.

"I guess so." With one last look at her papers, she allowed herself to be guided away.

* * *

"Boy, it's hot." She said, squinting her eyes against the sun as House opened the car door for her. She entered the sweltering car, and House turned on the ignition, pulling away from their worlds of work and entering a world of play and romance.

They sat in silence as House brought them into town, both their eyes on the road. It was a beautiful dusk setting in mid August. Kids were out playing in the street (much to House's annoyance), and families were celebrating and simply enjoying the summer.

"We haven't had a real date in forever." House said after shouting some curses at a dog that had run in front of the car.

"That's okay. We went swimming last month together, and that was good enough for me." Stacy said. House, clearly unsatisfied, grumbled a response and turned on the radio.

_Though I've tried before to tell her__  
Of the feelings I have for her in my heart  
Every time that I come near her I just lose my nerve  
As I've done from the start  
_

House turned into the little ice cream shop on the corner, Supreme Ice Cream, and parked the car. Stacy stole a glance at him, amusement and curiosity pricking at her mind.

"This is pretty cheesy. Especially coming from you." She pointed out.

"I was trying more for a 'Oh, Greg, you're just so sweet and wonderful that next time I will have sex with you in the office!' kind of response." He admitted.

_Every little thing she does is magic__  
Everything she do just turns me on__  
Even though my life before was tragic  
Now I know my love for her goes on_

"I'll keep that in mind." Stacy answered, and House looked at her, a grin forming on his face.

"But first, how about that date?" She reminded him.

* * *

After a few complaints from staff and interventions from Stacy, the couple had managed to buy a sundae and made their way out of the shop. House put his arm around Stacy and gently guided her away from the throng of people waiting in line. They sat underneath a young tree on a picnic table, sharing the ice cream in silence. The sun dipped over the rooftops and gradually disappeared, the golden orange light slowly fading away. Stacy moved closer to House, taking another bite of ice cream. She breathed in his scent, felt his strong arm draped across her back and shoulders, and watched him savour the delicious ice cream. She felt good, she felt loved. She'd been with other men, but this feeling was a first, and she tried desperately to hold on to it. She let it flower in her heart and take over her thoughts. It just felt so damn _good_.

She closed her eyes and leaned on his shoulder. "You were right. We really need to go on dates more often."

House swallowed a bite. "And have sex in the office more often, too."

Stacy laughed. "And that's all you've been thinking about, this whole time?"

House's gaze drifted around them. "Naked or not, you're all I ever think about."

She nodded, a smile spreading over her face as a warm feeling spread all over her body. Fireflies started flickering around them, and they knew that later they'd both give into their desires, but for now, this was all they needed.

_Every little thing__  
Every little thing__  
Every little thing  
She do is  
Magic, magic, magic  
Magic, magic, magic_


	3. September, picnic

**What I wish a guy would do for me… *sigh*. Anyway, the red plaid blanket, milk, and strawberries are for my good friend HappyDaysAreHereAgain. Song lyrics: Beautiful Day by U2.**

House woke up and lay in bed for a few moments, still. The bed was empty next to him; therefore Stacy must've already gotten up. He could hear her moving around the kitchen and humming slightly. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting her voice travel through his mind. He smiled, and sat up, checking the time. It was nearly 11:30 a.m. He hoisted himself out of bed and into the hallway.

Stacy heard him get out of bed and was glad he was up. She was almost done making the egg sandwiches and had everything packed and ready. She was leaning over to grab a knife to spread the egg salad on bread when House wrapped his arms around her from behind. She jumped a little at the touch but soon relaxed, letting him rest his head on her shoulder and rock her back and forth.

"Next time, check before to make sure I don't have a knife," she murmured into his ear. "I nearly stabbed you."

House just smiled, turning to look at her. She smiled back, letting him kiss her softly on the lips.

"Dear God, your breath is terrible." She jokingly gagged. "Now get off me so I can finish making our lunches."

House put an over-exaggerated hurt face on and moved away to get ready for the day. Stacy continued making her sandwiches, and starting humming again.

"_The heart is a bloom  
Shoots up through the stony ground  
There's no room  
No space to rent in this town"_

House, brushing his teeth, stopped to listen to her singing.

"Hurry up, Greg!" Stacy yelled down the hall, ending his train of thought.

* * *

House hoisted the cooler up into the trunk of the car as Stacy placed the whicker basket neatly on the red plaid blanket and slammed down the trunk.

"Feisty," House remarked. "My chances of action today are lookin' good." Stacy rolled her eyes and got in the passenger side of the car.

House pulled out of the driveway and down the road, into the autumn colours of late September. It was still warm and the trees were just beginning to turn. They pulled away from town and out into the countryside. Stacy sighed happily and leaned back, flipping on the radio.

_It was a beautiful day  
Don't let it get away  
Beautiful day_

_Touch me_  
_Take me to that other place_  
_Reach me_  
_I know I'm not a hopeless case_

The car ride was silent in a somewhat peaceful manner, House occasionally drumming his fingers on the steering wheel for a few moments before Stacy got annoyed and stopped him. A good 45 minutes from town, the lovers pulled over next to a lake and set up their picnic.

They picked a nice sunny spot next to a big willow with a stunning view of the lake. Stacy flattened out the blanket as House lifted the cooler and basket and brought it over. He put it down beside the blanket and sat down heavily next to her as she unwrapped the sandwiches and offered him one. House gladly accepted and took a huge bite, groaning his pleasure.

"These sandwiches are almost as good as…" he struggled for some words, "that hooker Cuddy got the number for me a few weeks ago. " Stung, Stacy slapped him.

"I give you a compliment and you slap me! I'll never understand women!"

"You slept with another –"

"It was a joke!"

"Wasn't funny." Stacy pouted.

"To you maybe." He took another bite. "But seriously, these sandwiches are really good."

Stacy ignored him and took a drink from a little milk bottle. House rolled his head back and threw up a strawberry, opening his mouth to catch it. Stacy saw her opportunity and swiped it out of the air just before it entered his mouth.

House looked surprised and then impressed. "Nice catch, but what the hell was that for?"

Stacy shrugged and popped the strawberry in her mouth. House growled and took a swig of beer. The two ate in silence for awhile. Stacy quietly started subconsciously singing again.

"_What you don't have you don't need it now  
What you don't know you can feel it somehow  
What you don't have you don't need it now  
Don't need it now  
Was a beautiful day"_

"True," House said. Stacy looked at him, cocking her head in a silent question.

"Today was a beautiful day," he replied, lying back on the blanket and staring up at the sky. Stacy watched him for a few seconds and then smiled to herself, lying back next to him and staring up at the white-patched blue sky. They watched the clouds drift by lazily for awhile, before House turned and looked at her.

"Thanks, for all this." He said. Stacy turned in shock. Those words were as rare as an apology coming from his mouth. But House had already turned his attention back to the sky, refusing to meet her gaze. Stacy thought for a moment, stunned, then shook her head and rolled onto her stomach to prop herself up, her face inches away from his.

"You're blocking the view," he complained. Stacy grinned, planting soft, lingering kisses on his nose and on his chin, brushing her lips over his familiar stubble. Slowly, and with care, she studied his face, the feel of every dimple and line on it. He grunted in pleasure as her lips met his and he threw himself into the kiss, making it long and urgent and dirty. Stacy matched his pace, letting herself fall into delirium and anticipating the rush as House lifted his hands to muss her hair.

At first, there was a universe, and in that universe there was a planet, and on the planet there was a lake, and next to the lake there were two people, a man and a woman. The next moment, reality spun away and it was just them and their love, and they were one.

A little later, the couple sat, gasping for air on the blanket for a second before diving into another passionate kiss.

"Slow down, Stacy," House pleaded. Stacy smirked and sat up, staring out at the sparkling water.

"Was the hooker as good as me?" She blurted out. House stared at her, before a smile spread over his lips.

"Take a wild guess."

"Not even close?"

"You guessed right."

**And voilà! The review button is looking awfully lonely…**


	4. October, Horror Movie

**This one's going to be in a slightly different format. Takes place at the end of the month, near Halloween. Oh, and I've made Stacy the kind of person to be absolutely terrified about horror movies. Y'all ready for total House vulnerability? This makes it a great opportunity to make the next chapter a devastating fight!**

House walked into the living room and made his way to the couch, offering Stacy the glass in his hand. She gladly accepted and smiled a thank you, shifting on the couch so he could sit next to her. A few minutes of getting tangled in the blanket and spilling popcorn after, House had managed to snuggle next to Stacy. He reached over for the remote and quickly pressed play, chewing loudly on a mouthful of popcorn as the room went dark and silent and the movie started.

For the first half hour or so of _Dracula_, House sat comfortably back on the couch, eating away at the popcorn and moving the bowl out of reach every time Stacy reached for some without ever taking his eyes off the screen. He never flinched, and even laughed in a very sinister, sickening way at all the inappropriate times. Stacy, on the other hand, often tensed up at certain scenes, darting her eyes away from the screen. She often found herself staring at House, wondering how on earth he could be laughing. She studied him for minutes at a time, her eyes passing over his wrinkled forehead; down to his fine, dark eyebrows; on to his deep, soulful blue eyes; and down to his determined set mouth and slightly graying stubble. Then a scream would sound from the television set and Stacy whipped her attention back to the screen, fighting down terror.

After an hour, it was clear Stacy was not one to enjoy horror movies. Her eyes were wide with fear and glued to the screen. The darkness that surrounded her at the edge of her vision gave her a terrifying feeling of being watched. She had managed to cram herself into a corner of the couch and sat there, trembling with fear. House had gotten somewhat bored, and took to watching her, a form of entertainment for him. The movie was almost done anyway, and he'd already seen it.

With a sudden jerk, Stacy whipped away the blanket for herself and was cowering in it. House grumbled, but one look at her petrified face and he softened. Thank God he hadn't shown her a movie about rats; it would've taken ages before she calmed down. With a grunt, he shifted over closer to her. Stacy's small, hazel eyes darted from the screen to him and back less than a second. House chuckled softly. _Poor Stacy_, he thought. He reached out and gently touched her shoulder. She jumped, but relaxed under his familiar touch. When she'd calmed down, he effortlessly picked up her slim figure and held her close, cradling her in his lap. Stacy briefly closed her eyes, enjoying the comfort, before they darted open as another chilling laugh sounded from the movie.

When the movie ended, the room went dark with the credits. House was still holding Stacy, but he'd drifted off into a light doze. Not wanting to wake him, she gently let him fall into a lying position on the couch, with Stacy still prisoner in his grasp. She figured she might as well catch some sleep while she could. Although she felt comfortable in his arms, sleep refused to come, and left Stacy alone with her thoughts. No, sleep wasn't coming _anytime_ soon for her.

She'd lost track of time, but at one point, she'd slightly dozed off when House woke up. It took him a moment to place where he was. With a groan, he sat up, still holding her, and stretched his aching neck from sleeping in an awfully uncomfortable position. After a few minutes, he gently set Stacy down and got up, doing the usual routine before he went to bed. When he'd made sure the stove was off, the doors were locked and various other things, he lifted Stacy and carried her to the bedroom. She woke up and flailed slightly, but yawned when he quietly brushed her hair out of her eyes. With incredible, out-of-character care, House set her down in bed, and Stacy curled up. He went to the bathroom, did one final check of the perimeter, and turned off all the lights before collapsing into bed. He was asleep in seconds.

* * *

In her dreams, Stacy watched in fear as friend after friend fell victim to Lord Dracula's hunger. She wanted to scream, but her mouth was dry with stale fear and her voice was nowhere to be found. She longed to run away, but her legs felt like Jell-o and she was sure they'd buckle after one step. So there she stood, paralyzed with horror, watching her world fall all around her.

In the early waking hours, House awoke with a sharp pain to his gut. Curses spilled out of his mouth and into the darkness. In her sleep, Stacy had lashed out, and in turn, kicked him in the stomach. Growling, House flipped on the light, blinking wearily as he read the clock. It was barely even four o'clock in the morning. He turned off the light and flipped over, willing sleep to return. It didn't take him too long to hear the quiet whimpering coming from behind his back. With a sigh, he turned the light back on and flipped over, staring at the small figure lying next to him.

"Stacy?" He called softly. "Are you okay?" He was answered with more whimpering sounds. Gently and quietly, he rolled her onto her back. She was still asleep, but trembling with fear. House studied her, his heart softening as she watched her struggle in her sleep.

"Oh, Stacy, come here," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her close to his body, resting his head briefly on hers. She'd stop whimpering, but the trembling hadn't stopped. He shook her gently. "Wake up."

Her eyes flew open and her breathing came in short rapid breaths. She struggled away from the warmth of his body, panic rising in her throat. She fought hard to keep the tears down; he didn't need to know what a coward she was. But silent sobs started, despite her best attempts to push it away.

"Oh, Stacy," he repeated, gently turning her around to face him. She couldn't control it anymore, and dug her face into his shirt. He rubbed her back as he let her sob into it. "Shhh, it's okay now. Everything's going to be fine. Hush, I won't let anything hurt you."

Eventually she quieted down, and managed to meet his gaze. Feelings clouded his eyes that she couldn't begin to describe; a deep admiring love, a gentle but determined vulnerability. It was the first time he opened up to her like this, and completely took down the walls that surrounded his heart. She managed a faint smile.

He smiled softly back, kissing her hair. "Now go to sleep. I'll be right here in the morning." She nodded, and he wiped the tears off her face. With a deep, tired sigh, she fell back down to her pillow and immediately drifted off into sleep.

She slept like a baby the rest of the night.


	5. November, Miscommunication

**First fight! I will admit, this one was difficult. I had some trouble coming up with a good reason for their fight. Once I started writing though, it all poured out. Thanks again to my good friend HappyDaysAreHereAgain for her great help! The song is Woman by John Lennon. Enjoy!**

Stacy stomped into the apartment and slammed the door behind her. Angrily, she put down the bags and snatched off her coat, striding into the apartment.

"What the hell was that?" She demanded, coming in between House and the television set. House grumbled and lifted his gaze upwards to a very agitated Stacy.

"What was it?" She demanded again, her hands on her hips and her mouth set in a determined, angry line. House sat up, anger starting to boil inside of him as well. This wasn't his entire fault.

"I wasn't the one who completely ditched the other for 48 hours _without warning_." He retorted, his attention entirely focused on the woman in front of him as he sized her up.

"It was purely business!" She exclaimed, gesturing with her arms in the air. "I even called you when I got into the hotel."

House snorted. "At one in the morning. What were you doing all night?"

Stacy exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself down. Things had been going rough lately. Issues with money had started appearing left and right, and she thought if she grabbed the chance in Denver things might've gotten better, but boy, was she wrong.

And at the moment, she wasn't going to admit she'd been out drinking all night, desperately searching for a way to think of anything but the man defying her right now.

"I'm going to go take a smoke," She muttered, grabbing her purse and storming off without even bothering to unpack her suitcase.

* * *

A few days earlier, Stacy had been at work when a great case had come up – despite the fact she'd have to go to Colorado for a day or two. The decision had to be made instantly, and she's accepted on the spur of the moment. Without time to call House at the hospital, she packed her bags excitedly and sped off to the airport, meaning to inform him somehow.

Things hadn't been so great between them, either. With a slow income pouring in, House had become quite agitated, often snapping at her and staying out to drink. Stacy had been left with all the responsibility, often even helping him when he stumbled home with Wilson, incoherently drunk. In the morning, he'd sneer at her again, and Stacy often stormed out.

She'd gotten the call just before going into court from Wilson. Apparently, House had gone out drinking again, and to Stacy's absolute horror, ended up sleeping with another woman because of it when Stacy hadn't come home. She'd screamed at Wilson for a bit, inappropriately taking her fury out on him instead of House, and was a wreck for the case.

Which, because of the whole mess, had gone terribly wrong, and put her in a sour mood.

Stacy had consequently gone out and had a few drinks herself, glumly thinking about how House had slept with another woman.

She lit the cigarette and inhaled the addicting substance, letting it dull her thoughts and mind.

* * *

House blamed Stacy for it all. If she hadn't made him worried sick why she didn't come home or answer her phone, he wouldn't have gone out searching for her and ended up in a bar. He admitted to himself he should've seen it coming when the lady kept making him drink, and the next morning he woke up with a terrible headache and in a strange bed. It did all come back to him – but in a hazy, dreamlike state – and he regretted it. But when Stacy hadn't come home and he'd found a few of her things missing during a rocky time in their relationship, he'd assumed the worse. Depressed and unbelieving, he went out for a drink, all of which could've been avoided if she'd _just_ called.

And when he'd got home, her message was waiting for him, and all this mess had started.

House rubbed his forehead in a pained matter. He should probably go after her and explain the simple mistake, but he had pride, and it wasn't even his fault. Smugly, he sat down and turned on the radio.

_Woman, I can hardly express__  
My mixed emotions and my thoughtlessness  
After all, I'm forever in your debt  
And woman, I will try to express my inner feelings and thankfulness  
For showing me the meaning of success_

He groaned inwardly, dreading the lyrics in the song. Stubbornly, he refused to give in to the little nagging in his heart that told him he should follow her _or else_. She'd come back; she always did.

_Woman, I know you understand the little child inside a man  
Please remember, my life is in your hands, and woman  
Hold me close to your heart, however distant don't keep us apart  
After all it is written in the stars_

* * *

Stacy huffed outside, staring blankly out across the road, her eyes dull and her heart aching. She was still furious and horrified, but with dark acknowledgement she knew she'd go back to him, and probably always would. She put her head in her hands, knowing somewhere deep down that this wasn't the worst yet to come. This fight was long from over, but eventually their stubbornness would subside and apologies would be made. She wasn't going to be the one to give in, though.

She got up, making her way slowly back to their apartment, carefully planning her words and her actions.

* * *

House stared out the window, his ears straining for the familiar sound of her steps coming up to the door. He rested his head on his hand, his elbow propped up on the chair of the couch where he lay, the television on mute beside him as the radio wailed out its song.

_Woman, please let me explain  
I never meant to cause you sorrow or pain  
So let me tell you again and again and again  
I love you, yeah, yeah, yeah, now and forever  
I love you, yeah, yeah, yeah, now and forever_

Covered by the sound of the song, Stacy entered silently, catching the last verse as his eyes met hers. They stood in silence for awhile, his blue eyes sad and forlorn, hers offering some sort of sorrow and guilt. They ate in silence, and went to bed a little later, trapped in their own thoughts.

Maybe the dawn would be brighter someday soon.

**Thanks again for reading and following, I hope to get more chapters up soon, but in a few days I'm off for vacation and you probably won't hear from me in 5 weeks or so! I'll still be writing but it might take some time before I manage to type it and get it up on here. It's impossible for me to not write for 5 weeks... *shudders*. Sorry for any confusion in this chapter, like I said, it was tough to write, and I'm fairly happy at how it ended up. I still own nothing.**


	6. December, Mind Games and a Piano

**I'm baaaaack! Missed me? I thought so. Anyway, here's the next chapter, and it's slightly longer than usual (either that or I had to make it slightly shorter than usual… guess what I picked?). The song is ****Take On Me**** by A-Ha and I seriously suggest listening to it when you get to that part – trust me, it'll make it a thousand times less confusing. After all, I suggest doing that for most of the chapters, because sometimes I think the actual music (and not just the lyrics) fit the chapter well. Yeah, I'm weird, I know. It's also in a slightly different format than the others. Reviews are ALWAYS appreciated ;) Go on, get reading! **

Stacy passed one hand over a misted townhouse window and wiped the resulting wetness on the back of her pant leg. She stared out from the little visible window that had thus been created into the darkness beyond. Fat, healthy snowflakes thundered outside, twirling around the streetlights' illumination in the storm. Darkness enveloped everywhere else on the street in the evening.

"How many inches do you think we'll get?" She asked House, who was watching a rerun of a Yankees versus Red Sox baseball game, over her shoulder. He shrugged, eyes never turning away from the screen. "Hopefully enough for a snow day." He answered.

Stacy turned back to the window, which had already frosted over again. She curled her fingers tighter around the coffee mug, warmth seeping through the ceramic. She took a tentative sip – just how she liked it. "You picked the wrong career. Hospitals don't have snow days."

He grunted in response. "Unfortunately. They should though; it's very cruel that they don't."

She turned back o him and quietly walked over, sliding next to him on the couch. Automatically, he sat up, draping an arm over her shoulders, yet his eyes still never wandered from the screen. She didn't really mind though. She took another sip of coffee before placing it on the side table, pressing herself against House in an attempt to get closer to his warmth.

"Jesus lady, are you kicking me off the couch?" He grumbled, but she ignored him. She'd noticed how he was always warm, like a personal radiator. She, on the other hand, often got cold. December thus far had been unusually cold and chilly, and naturally, Stacy had cuddled up next to him – or, at least, tried. It turned out he wasn't a very cuddly person. To him, it was a mind game, and he loved that type of game, as long as he was certain he could win. Stacy had slowly pestered him, and now she had a free pass to cuddle up to him as long as she didn't expect much in return. His show of affection was always reserved – a simple arm around the shoulder here, a tussle of hair there.

She tired watching the baseball game but soon after got very bored. She then turned her complete attention on House – tracing little circles on his chest, and waiting for a reaction. For awhile, he never took his eyes off the screen. She figured he was playing hard to get. A devilish smile spread across her lips and slowly, she started letting her finger weave its way down across his stomach, poking experimentally at his belly button. The only response she got was a slightly annoyed – but curious – grunt. She pressed on, her fingers gently dancing up and down his left thigh. This received a quick glance at her hands and a slightly uncomfortable shift. She smirked, letting her had lie flat on his upper thigh and keeping it there.

House inwardly groaned. Now she was playing hard to get. His mouth set in a determined line. He wouldn't give in – or, at least, he wanted her to think she wouldn't give in. Two could play this game.

_Fine, so be it_, she thought, contemplating her next move. Slowly and calculatedly, she lifted her hand off his leg. In that second, House turned and leapt on her. She squealed in surprise as her head banged down on the couch cushion but it was cut short as House pressed his lips onto hers, digging his tongue into her mouth forcefully. She relaxed, comfortable with his weight pressing down on her, and opened her mouth, responding to his kiss with fiery passion. He groaned into her mouth, and just as abruptly, he sat back up and was once again nonchalantly watching the baseball game.

Feeling him left off of her as their lips parted, Stacy's eyes blinked open in surprise. She lifted her head to find him sitting on the couch and staring intently at the television. If someone had blinked, they would never have guessed they'd missed a thing. She huffed, blowing her tangled hair out of her face. She gently lay her had back down, staring at the bland ceiling.

_I've won_, House thought, smiling briefly. He dared take a quick glance and saw she hadn't moved from where he had pushed her over. Her hair was tangled from where he'd mussed it and her stomach quickly rose and fell as she tried to steady her breathing. He'd made her a hot mess, but he wasn't done yet.

After what had felt like hours but had only been a dozen or so minutes, House heavily got up; dragging his feet to make sure Stacy had heard him. He walked by the edge of the couch and onwards towards the piano in the corner of the room.

Stacy felt the couch shift as he got up, but she forced herself to continue staring at the ceiling. Her ears pricked as he purposely shuffled by her loudly, and she fought the urge to trip him, or to a less evil degree, smile. She heard him sit at the piano.

He contemplated what he should play. He was very concentrated, and he didn't notice as Stacy silently and effortlessly rose and padded over, her socked feet easily gliding across the floor. She didn't get much more than an acknowledging raised eyebrow as she eased next to him on the piano bench.

She bit her lower lip as she studied the black and white keys displayed in front of her. She'd done a few years of lessons when she had been a small child, but she was never very good and hadn't retained much except Au Claire De La Lune. She much preferred watch House play. He transformed, she'd found out. He got lost in the music, and Stacy had resorted to the not unentertaining sport of watching his hands fly easily across the keys. It was his escape, and she respected that, letting him play as she silently observed.

He still hadn't decided what to play, and he was becoming more and more aware of a soundlessly patient Stacy sitting beside him. He quickly decided to play something dedicated to her instead of playing what _he_ felt like. He positioned herself, purposely elbowing Stacy with a smirk. She slapped at his elbow, a smile appearing on her lips despite her best efforts to appear stern. She still wanted to play mind games. She studied him as he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and started playing.

The first piece was classical – very melodramatic. It sped up and slowed down, climbed the staff note-wise and fell, and House completed it with dynamics – extensively making the crescendos and staccatos sharp and bouncy. Stacy contented herself with watching his hands dash to and fro – they were like mini dancers. She giggled – it was like his hands and fingers had minds of their own.

House was quickly lost in his playing – is eyes were closed, his senses of touch and hearing strained, and a concentrated but peaceful expression had gradually settled on his face. There were only two occasions, Stacy remarked, that House looked completely calm and without worry: when he was sleeping, and when he was playing. They never really talked about it, but Stacy could see how plagued with worry, fear, and regret House was – but Gregory House denied having fear and lived without regret, so the matter was quickly settled. Getting him to open up was harder than fitting an elephant in a fridge. She couldn't begin to believe how many people had hurt him for him to clam up like he did – shuddering, she vowed never to follow the path of those before her. Still, she left the matter be more often than not.

The following piece was bouncy and playful, and Stacy forgot all her – their – troubles. House felt her relax beside him and felt accomplished. He refused to think any thoughts that weren't appropriate to the song, and threw his energy into it. Leaving reality for a few precious minutes was health for them, and upon return, Stacy showed her gratitude by pressing her head against his shoulder. House barely acknowledged this as he prepared for the final piece of the night. He started, and immediately Stacy sat upright, ears easily following the familiar tune. She grinned as he started playing the classic 80's lick of A-ha's _**Take On Me**_. They both loved this song; it was upbeat and energizing.

Stacy cleared her throat, preparing to sing. She was fairly shy about singing, but House found her voice beautiful. It wasn't high and squeaky nor low and almost masculine but a perfect middle of the two extremes. Music was one thing that always brought them together.

"_Talking away_

_I don't know what I am to say_

_I'll say it anyway_

_Today's another day to find you_

_Shying away_

_I'll be coming for you, love, okay?"_

Both now enveloped in the song, Stacy looked at House. He met her gaze, his eyes full of love, music, and happiness. She smiled – this moment was perfect.

"_Take on me_," Stacy sang, holding his gaze. House grinned before replying with the backup vocal lyrics "_Take on me_."

"_Take me on_," Stacy shook her head, closing her eyes as she aimed for the higher notes. "_Take on me_," House studied her as she hit the next impossibly high notes. All sound drifted away as he watched her muscles strain, and he was sure she'd gotten them. He broke out into another grin before he turned back to the piano, again becoming focused.

"_So needless to say_," House sang the next verse, and Stacy sighed as goose bumps trailed up and down her body. She loved how deep his voice got when he sang.

"_I'm odds and ends, but that's me_

_Stumbling away_

_Slowly learning that life is okay_

_Say after me_

_It's not better to be safe than sorry_…"

A devilish twinkle sparkled in his eyes.

"_Take on me_," House barely managed the higher note, his face contorted with the effort. "_Take on me_," Stacy replied as she raised an eyebrow playfully in response.

"_Take me on_," He tilted his head back, eyes squeezed shut and wrinkles criss-crossing his face. Stacy nodded, "_Take on me_." When the time came for the series of high notes he shrugged them off so he could launch into the proceeding keyboard solo, his favourite part. He reached across Stacy to hit all the high notes. She laughed, watching him, and then sliding away to let him do his thing, leaned on the piano. Without communication, they both automatically started the last verse together.

"_The things that you say_

_Is it live or just to play_

_My worries away?_

_You're all the things I've got to remember_

_You shying away_

_I'll be coming for you anyway_!"

Stacy started doing a little jig, much to House's amusement.

"_Take on me_," Stacy sang. "_Take on me_!" House replied, abandoning the piano and going accapella for the last chorus. He approached her, wrapping his arms around her as she put her hand on his chest. She stared into his eyes as time slowed down.

"_Take me on_," She murmured, glancing at his lips. He whispered back, "_Take on me_," and didn't give her the chance to answer as he leaned forward and gently touched his lips to hers. Stacy's eyes fluttered closed, and as the shadows started dancing across the room, the final lyrics were lost.

_I'll be gone_

_In a day or two_


	7. January, Jobs

**Sorry for the long awaited update! Life has just been so hectic, as HappyDaysAreHereAgain can testify. In advance, please forgive any typos and/or sentences/words that don't make sense. I kind of sort of wrote this in France. Where I was speaking French for a month… You follow? **

Just before seven in the evening, the door to House's townhouse swung open and in stepped a very cold Stacy. The heating in her car had broken, and she'd almost froze on her way home. She wasn't very appropriately dressed for the weather- under normal circumstances; she preferred to look more stylish when arriving at her office then keeping warm. She never really had a reason to dress that way anyway- she was pretty sure she'd survive the 5 minute walk from her car to her office and vice versa. That is, until her heating failed.

Right now, all she really wanted to do was curl up next to House with a nice bowl of hot soup. Goosebumps raced up and down her frigid body at the thought as she took off her water-heavy coat and boots.

"Home," she announced in a tired voice, fed up with the day and in a crappy mood. She felt her hair- soaking wet. She groaned; she looked (and felt) like shit. She passed House on her way to change. He was sitting on the couch, the TV volume on low. He didn't acknowledge her, and she wasn't in the mood to pester him for affection. She entered their bedroom and closed the door, peeling off her soaked clothes.

Feeling less cold but not less tired, she opened the door and walked out into the hall. She glimpsed at House at the end, hunched over something. She walked up behind him.

"Jesus Christ Stacy! Did you have to drag in snow into the whole friggin' apartment?" He growled at her, staring at the small puddle that had formed near the door.

Stacy crossed her arms, irritated. "It's one small puddle, Greg. Calm down; I'll clean it up."

He ignored her, muttering to himself. _Fine, _Stacy thought. She whirled around and headed towards the kitchen, fully intending on making herself the bowl of hot soup she'd been craving all day. She didn't feel like dealing with House right now. She opened the pantry door, expecting it to be full, as today would have been the day House had gone grocery shopping. Instead, it was nearly bare: a box of macaroni and cheese, a loaf of bread, and a package of pasta. Anger flared up inside of her, and she didn't bother to repress it.

"Didn't you go grocery shopping today?" She yelled from the kitchen.

"No – too much snow," Came the nonchalant reply. This caused the anger to burn deeper. _She _was the one who was relied on to bring in steady income, as House had just been fired from his job after the New Year. _She_ was the one who trekked out every morning to assure they had enough money to live, come rain or shine. _He _was the one who stayed at home doing chores, as _he _was the one unable to maintain a job.

The selfishness in his words angered her more. She had to drive 40 minutes just to get to work every day, but he couldn't manage 5 minutes to the store! And he told her that _he_ didn't have enough time? She grabbed the macaroni and cheese and started the stove, stomping out as she waited for the water to boil.

Once she got to the couch, though, all her will to argue drained out of her. She was just too tired to fight today. She longed to curl up next to House and feel his strong arms and warm breath surrounding her as she gently dozed off. She scooted closer to him, lifting his arm and putting it around herself as she curled her legs up underneath herself, leaning on him.

House recoiled, wrinkling his nose. "You're all wet, don't touch me! And you smell like wet dog." He pushed her away. Stacy was taken aback; hurt briefly registering on her face before fury stormed over.

"You son of a bitch!" She snarled, leaping off the couch and stomping into the kitchen just as the water started to boil over, ironically reflecting her emotions. She stayed in the kitchen until her hot pasta was ready, but she stubbornly refused to calm down. She sat on the opposite end of the couch, glaring up defiantly at House as she spooned up her pasta. At one point, she was so furiously planning comebacks that she didn't pay attention and the scalding contents spilled onto her new black sweater.

"Shit, shit, shit!" She moaned, feeling terrible. Today was most definitely _not _her day.

"Shut up!" House hissed, angrily pointing at his show. "Can't you see that I'm trying to watch?"

Stacy's jaw dropped open in surprise before clamping shut, her eyes shooting flames at him. With a hardy "humph", she got up and headed into the kitchen (again) to clean up.

House regretted saying that, but his own irritation was flaming. There was no one else to take it out on except for Stacy, and she didn't deserve it. He was just mad at his hopeless situation. He'd grown up with the mentality that the man should support the women financially, not the other way around. Stacy being the sole cause of the income made him feel as if he was accepting charity, and, as seen through his hated father's eyes, that he was failing. He should apologize, but he was too tired to, and too proud to be wrong.

"While you're in there, can you get me a bag of chips?" He called. Stacy snatched the chips and came back out to where he was sitting, thrusting the chips at him. "There you go,_ sir,_" She mocked.

"Jesus, watch it!" Frustration tinted his voice as he grabbed the chips out of her outstretched hand.

This was the last straw for Stacy. Blinded by anger, she planted herself in front of him.

"That's it! Get out!" She barked.

House looked up at her defiantly. "It's my place."

This drove her into a frenzy. "You selfish little bastard! I'm the one bringing in all the money allowing us to keep this place! So get lost!" She pointed an accusing finger.

"Fine! Keep your pathetic money. I don't need your charity!" He rose to meet her, anger flaming in his eyes.

"Good riddance!" She spat, whirling around and stomping off to the bathroom, slamming the door so loud behind her the decorations on the walls shook. Furiously, House jammed a few clothes into a bag and many more beer bottles, slamming the fridge door just as loudly. A picture fastened to the fridge floated slowly down to the floor, landing right side-up on the tiled floor. Despite the anger welling up inside of him and his haste to leave, House bent down and picked it up. It was a picture of him and Stacy at one of their first parties together. She was laughing at something and he had one protective arm over her shoulder, a beer in the other hand. Ache flooded his emotions and he ripped up the picture, watching trancelike as the ripped pieces fell individually to the ground. He left them there and stormed out, making sure she knew he'd left with a final slam of the door. He planned to sleep in his car; it felt like he had nowhere else to go.

Stacy slumped on the bathroom floor, fighting hard to choke down her tears as silence settled. Since she had been small, Stacy had found tears sprung too easily to her eyes. She'd learned to repress it with anger, which she found easier to control. After awhile of doing nothing much on the floor except thinking, Stacy gently stripped herself of her clothes, slipping into the shower. She turned on the hot water, sighing as it hit her trembling body. It wasn't exactly like curling up to House, but it was a damn near second. She wondered vaguely where she now stood with him, but the thought made her heart twist in agony. She just needed one night alone to sort her mixed feelings. Heartache threatened to choke her in the soothing shower. She did want him, she did still love him. All she could do was hope he hadn't left for good. She pushed the thought away at a feeble attempt to enjoy this one part of this miserable day.

Settled into the car –alone- sorrow and longing settled over House like a fine layer of dust. He tried to avoid it by cracking open a beer and chugging the bottle.

The two, both with regret and thankfulness, fell into a comforting sleep.

They'd go back to each other. After all, they always did.

**That was wayyy too much fun. Borderline a little concerning on how much fun that was to write. Anyway, IMPORTANT NOTE: This story is (kinda) on hold, as I really need to throw myself into Greg's House, heart and soul. If you don't know what that is, I would much appreciate it if you navigated your way to my other stories and read that one! Oh, a few Huddy ones will also be posted sometime in the future, but Greg's House has my full attention. That's all! Thanks for reading, as always, AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW ON YOUR WAY OUT! **


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